Against All Odds
by Pokellie
Summary: At ten years old, Annie's Pokémon journey was cut short, now she has the chance to start anew in Kalos seven years later. But with the return of Team Flare and a confusing relationship with Professor Sycamore's assistant, will Annie ever reach the Kalos League?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, thank you for checking out my new story. This is the first FanFiction I've ever published, so I'm super excited to see how it turns out. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

 **Chapter One.**

On a beautiful summer day, a young girl is setting off on an adventure with her brand-new Pokémon, smiling as brightly as the sun that forces her steel grey eyes to squint. She holds one hand up, trying to shield them from the glare whilst grasping the strap of her bag tightly with the other as it sits on her shoulders, her mother attempting to tie back her plum coloured hair that was being tousled by the wind. Her father stands beside them, a hand placed on his wife's shoulder as he laughs.

A picture-perfect family, all blissfully unaware of the news they'd be receiving a few days later that would change their lives, bringing the young girls' short-lived journey to an end.

"Picture-perfect" I scoffed, staring at the photo and brushing my finger gently over my father's fading face, blinking tears back as I noticed a scratch had appeared on it. I wiped my eyes and placed it to one side to pick up the fragments of glass that littered the floor. I tossed them in the bin before reaching for the photo, barely recognising the woman tying back the hair of my ten-year-old self. How could things have changed so much since then?

I sat on the edge of the bed, my head in my hands as I tried to remember the last time that she had spoken to me without breaking a picture frame or a vase, anything she could smash against a wall. I'd been hiding the picture from her for so long, knowing she'd try to destroy it. You'd think seven years would be long enough to remove every trace of him from the house, but she still managed to find tiny little reminders and flew into a frenzy, crying and screaming, leaving a trail of destruction behind her and usually finding me at the end of the path.

I could barely take it anymore, I'd had a bag packed and ready for weeks, waiting for me to escape the first chance I got but always ended up convincing myself I couldn't leave her. As cruel and twisted as she had become, she was still my mother.

I soon found myself inching my way downstairs, intending to apologise like every other time this had happened, despite the blame not being mine, just to keep the peace a while longer before she erupted again, as I knew she would. I crept quietly towards the front room, trying to build up the courage to speak to her without my voice quivering but when I got there, she was nowhere to be seen. I checked all over the house before finally coming to her bedroom door, knocking gently.

"Mother?" I called, tapping harder on the door, pushing it open slightly. I opened it further and peeked in, she wasn't here either. I was about to leave when I realised something wasn't right. I stepped across the threshold, holding my breath as I looked around the dark room, the curtains tightly pulled shut and covered in dust as if they hadn't been opened in years.

I picked up the only picture sitting on the desk, its frame bent and the glass was gone, leaving behind a scruffy photo of my mother and my father, except his face had been scratched out. My gaze wandered as I weaved around the mess, clothes strewn across the floor, a chair knocked over, wardrobe doors hanging open to reveal it had been emptied.

My eyes widened in shock, my heart racing as a sinking feeling settled in my stomach. I pelted down the hallway and into the spare room, cracking open the loose floorboard I'd discovered years ago. My pulse relaxed a little as I saw my rucksack hadn't been moved, the money I'd been saving for the past years untouched. I pulled the Poké Ball out of the bag, clutching it to my chest as I tried to slow my breathing.

Beldum. The most important gift my father had ever given me. It was also the last gift he'd ever given me. If she'd found it, I couldn't even bear to think what she would've done with it. Over the years when I'd sneaked out at night to play at being a trainer, Beldum had somehow mustered the strength to evolve into a Metang, making it too big to hide in my room without my mother suspecting something, so in the Poké Ball it would stay until the dead of night when she was asleep.

I choked back sobs with the defaced photograph and Poké Ball still clutched in my hands, I knew she'd left me, and felt no remorse doing it. She might still be my mother, but I hadn't been her daughter for a long time.

* * *

I gripped the seat, my stomach rolling as the boat rocked against the sea. It had been hours now but I was still trying to earn my sea legs, not having moved from the seat since we'd set off. I frowned jealously as people walked past me, totally at ease whilst I battled to keep my breakfast down, I didn't really feel like seeing what boiled egg and soldiers looked like _after_ you'd eaten it.

"Look mama! Coo-ma-een City!" A young boy cried, grabbing his mother's skirt and pointing towards the island we were approaching.

"Wow! Can you see all the Pokémon?" The mother enthused, pointing at the Pelipper and Wingull that flew alongside the boat.

I smiled as I watched them, willing myself to stand up and take a look, shielding my eyes from the sun as the Kalos Region grew closer. It was a lot bigger than Sinnoh, greener too. I felt something nudge my arm and turned my head, my lips pulling into a smile as Metang nuzzled against me.

"We're almost there, Metang, just a bit further" I said. It made a cheerful noise and pressed closer to me as I pulled a guide book out of my rucksack. "We'll be getting off in Coumarine City, then I suppose we better find someone to give us some directions, I can't understand this map."

My legs were still jelly when they hit solid ground, forcing me to wobble and collapse on a nearby bench. As I waited to regain control of my legs, I flipped through the guide book, finding there was a Pokémon Professor in Kalos, much like Professor Rowan back in Sinnoh.

"Professor Sycamore, huh?" I mused, studying a picture of him in the book. He looked more like a freelance artist than a Pokémon Professor. "What do you think, Metang, reckon this guy can help us?" The Iron Claw Pokémon looked at me quizzically and I shrugged, deciding it was as good a place to start as any.

A friendly local gave us directions, 'straight down route 13, you can't miss it', and we started the trek towards Lumiose City, a whole new adventure and a whole new life laid out on the road in front of us.

My feet hurt already.

* * *

 **A/N: So that's chapter one! I might make some changes to it in the near future, but for now consider it a brief introduction. The real story starts in chapter two, so I hope you stick with me a while longer!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So here it is, chapter two! It's not the most exciting of chapters, but I'm hoping it will cover the direction I'm hoping to take this story. Please enjoy and leave me some feedback if you have any suggestions!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two.**

Lumiose City was exactly as the guide book described it; bright, loud and outrageously busy. I could barely take a step without my feet being trampled by someone else's, constantly apologising as I fought my way through the endless crowd. I'd returned Metang to its Poké Ball, much to its dislike, as soon as we'd arrived, knowing I'd end up getting separated from it in the sea of people. I suddenly stumbled backwards, falling against something that harshly shoved me away and sent me falling to the ground.

"Sorry" I mumbled for what must have been the hundredth time, groaning as I sat up.

"You should be, you almost knocked me over. What are you, blind?" An arrogant voice huffed. I shifted my gaze towards its owner, finding a girl around my age scowling down at me as if I was dirt on her designer shoes.

"Excuse me" I remarked sarcastically, raising my eyebrows. "Unlike you I actually got knocked over by you and your size ten clown feet."

"Clown feet?" The girl shrieked, gaping at me. "That's rich, coming from the girl with a nose bigger than a Probopass!" She then spun on her heel and stalked off angrily, screaming at people who got in her way. I poked at my nose momentarily before realising I was still sprawled unglamorously on the floor. I went to push myself up, quickly changing my mind and pulling my hand back after nearly losing my fingers to the people bustling past.

"Do you need some help?" Someone offered. I glanced up, finding a gloved hand inches from my face. Attached to the hand was a young guy with dark scruffy hair and stony blue eyes that were watching me quizzically. "Are you alright?"

I apologised for the one hundred and first time that day, embarrassed I'd been staring for Arceus knows how long. "I didn't mean to stare, you just surprised me" I flustered, taking his hand and letting him pull me to my feet. "Thanks for your help, I'd have been trampled to dust otherwise."

"No problem" He replied shortly, turning to leave.

"Hey, wait a sec!" I called after him, jogging to catch up with his lengthy stride. "I don't suppose you could point me in the direction of the Pokémon Lab, could you?"

"The Pokémon Lab?" He repeated.

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask the Professor for some advice" I confirmed.

"I was heading there anyway" He nodded.

"Great, thanks" I smiled gratefully.

He barely glanced at me as he led me through the crowded streets and I was starting to feel awkward, looking around for anything that would be a good conversation starter. I could've picked anything really, the boutiques, the studio, the masses of restaurants and cafés. But no, normal isn't my style.

"Hey, do you think my nose looks big?"

* * *

I shifted uncomfortably as I was led into the Pokémon Lab, a large cement coloured building with more windows than I could count, all framed with thick wood that was painted a bright turquoise colour. The entire building was surrounded by tall, spiked fences that sat on top of low walls, divided by pillars, the only way inside being a large set of gates.

It didn't look like a Pokémon Lab, not even when you got inside. It was more like a five-star hotel, with a red carpet leading up to the stairs that split off in several directions, gold trim outlining the wooden beams around the room. Numerous archways lined the walls, I tried to look but couldn't see far down enough to find out what was at the end of the corridor.

Someone cleared their throat, causing me to jump and quickly move from the wall I'd been peering around. I felt my cheeks growing warm as I realised the man stood opposite me must be the Professor; tall with dark hair and a welcoming smile as he stood there, arms crossed in his white lab coat.

"I see you're quite curious" He stated.

"Sorry, I was just-" He held up a hand to stop me and I felt my stomach twist nervously. Was he going to tell me to leave?

"No need to explain, you're not the first trainer to come in here, they all do the same" He smiled and my stomach fell back into place. "I'm Professor Sycamore."

"It's nice to meet you, Professor. My name is Annie" I replied, shaking his outstretched hand.

"Alain tells me you were in need of some advice?" He asked.

"Alain?" I frowned. I then realised the boy who had brought me here had vanished without me noticing. Too busy snooping, I thought sheepishly.

"He didn't introduce himself to you?" The Professor laughed, shaking his head. "He's my assistant. He's not the most outgoing person as I'm sure you've noticed, but he's a good kid."

"Right" I nodded, unsure of what to say. "Well he helped me get here so he's okay in my books" I added, shrugging. The Professor nodded and led me into another room, taking a seat in the armchair and motioning for me to sit on the sofa opposite.

"So how can I help you?" He asked once I'd made myself comfortable.

"You see, I've just come over from Sinnoh" I started.

"Sinnoh, huh?" The Professor mused. "I've been meaning to go and visit Professor Rowan for quite some time now, I've been trying to convince him to use a Holo Caster for ages, but he hasn't warmed up to the idea yet." I nodded, wondering what a Holo Caster was.

"Yeah, so I came all the way here but I'm not really sure where to start" I finished awkwardly, ignoring his comment.

"Well I'm sure I can give you some pointers" Professor Sycamore beamed, standing abruptly. "Your journey starts right here!"

"Right here?" I asked uncertainly and looked around, seeing nothing but a coffee table and potted plants.

"Right now," He nodded, abruptly leaving the room. I hurried after him, passing multiple closed doors and wondering what was hidden behind them when we came to a stop next to a wall made completely of glass. On the other side was a beautiful garden, with enormous green trees and bushes with wildflowers and a well-kept carpet of grass. In the middle, Alain stood feeding an intimidating looking Garchomp, a handful of other Pokémon starting to appear from out of the bushes and trees; Aipoms, Combees and even Pokémon I'd never seen before.

"They love him" Sycamore suddenly spoke up. "Alain worked as my assistant before but left for a while, you should've seen the Pokémon when he came back, they were overjoyed" He laughed a little.

"He must be a good friend to them" I replied.

"He is, and he's an even better assistant. He might not show it but he loves those Pokémon and his work" Sycamore added fondly. "He's helped me out a lot, our research on Mega Evolution would've never come as far as it has if it weren't for Alain."

"Mega Evolution?" I questioned.

"You haven't heard of it?" He asked, surprised when I shook my head. "Mega Evolution is the most ground-breaking discovery we've come across for years. It's exceptionally dangerous, especially in the wrong hands, which is why we've been trying to find out more about it to be able to harness its power and control it. "

"So how does it work?"

"There is a set of two stones, called the Key Stone and the Mega Stone. A trainer that possesses a Key Stone and a Mega Stone for their Pokémon are capable of Mega Evolution, however a strong bond between the two partners is mandatory. Without a bond, there'd be no hope of ever controlling the power that the Pokémon would gain."

"So, they just get stronger" I summarised.

"That's the gist of it" He grinned, watching the Pokémon. "So far, every Pokémon we've found to be capable of Mega Evolution has also undergone a slight change in their appearance as well, and some even change their type when they Mega Evolve. It doesn't last forever though, they revert back to normal afterwards."

"That sounds so cool, can I see?" I asked excitedly, my hands clasped together.

"That's not such a good idea" Sycamore deadpanned, scratching his head absentmindedly as I pouted slightly. "Last time I showed a trainer it ended up with half of the city being shut off to rescue the boy from the top of Lumiose Tower."

"Oh no, was he alright?"

"Oh, don't worry, Ash is the type of kid who gets straight back up once he falls off a Ponyta" Sycamore assured me. "So, do you want to meet the Pokémon?"

* * *

"The Kalos League?" I asked.

"Yeah" Sycamore nodded. "Obviously you'd have to do a lot of training, but it's not until the end of July anyway, you'll have almost a year to get ready for it."

"How do I get in?"

"You have to defeat the eight Gym Leaders around Kalos, of course" He grinned, like it was no big deal.

"That easy, huh?" I joked.

"It's anything but easy" Alain spoke up. "You'll face a lot of strong trainers, and I'm sure all the ones who qualify for the finals will Mega Evolve their Pokémon."

"Don't scare the poor girl, Alain" Sycamore scolded, an Aipom weaving itself under his arm. "You'll do just fine, Annie. And it's not like you have to win, it's just a bit of fun."

"Yeah, you're right" I nodded. "I think I'll give it a go."

"Great!" The Professor exclaimed loudly, scaring the Aipom and causing it to fall. "Sorry, Aipom" He a grinned sheepishly as the small Pokémon quickly scarpered away. I laughed slightly, watching as Alain wrestled with a small Makuhita, trying to syringe a cloudy medicine into its mouth.

"What's wrong with the Makuhita?" I asked.

"Nothing serious, just a little infection, but it's almost cleared up now. We're keeping it on antibiotics for the time being. Alain found it as he was on his way back from the League a few weeks ago" Sycamore explained as the Pokémon tackled Alain to the ground.

"You competed in the League?" I asked Alain.

"Yeah" He grunted, glancing at me as he stood up, brushing dirt from his trousers.

"Did you win?"

"No, but that's why I'm signing up for the next one." I nodded to show I'd heard him, watching the Pokémon climbing the trees and playing in the small fountain.

"It's also for researching the Pokémon that can Mega Evolve, there's going to be more than there were last year, I'm hoping the data we collect will help us understand it further" Sycamore told me. As cheerful and easy going as he was, he sounded deadly serious whenever he discussed his work, explaining it passionately whilst still wording it easily enough for me to understand. "You could help out if you wanted, Annie" He offered.

"Sure, what do I do?" I agreed, interested.

"You don't have to do anything really, the PokéDex will automatically record the readings of the Pokémon you come across and even when you battle. It's also a nifty little tool, you can use it to identify the Pokémon you find if you want to learn about it a little before you decide to capture it, or battle it, whatever you decide" He explained.

"Sounds great, I'll do it" I beamed excitedly, not even needing to think about it. If I was going to the Kalos League, I'd need all the help I could get.

* * *

I sat on the bed in one of the spare rooms of the Pokémon Lab that Professor Sycamore had kindly lent me for the night, Metang snoozing soundly by my side as I fiddled with the devices I'd received earlier. One was the PokéDex, the other was something he'd mentioned earlier; a Holo Caster. Professor Sycamore hadn't really explained how to use it, just that he'd be able to contact me with it and sounded very excited about trying out the new messaging feature.

I pressed random keys and slid the screen in every direction, suddenly emitting a noise that sounded strangely like a ringtone and quickly turned it off, stuffing it under my pillow. I grasped the bed sheets tightly, pulling with every ounce of strength I had to try and pull them out from beneath Metang, barely gaining an inch before I gave up, my arms aching. I shuffled into bed as best I could before closing my eyes, excited for what the next day would bring; signing up for the Kalos League.

* * *

 **A/N: I literally had no idea how to end this one, so sorry for that. I'm hoping it wasn't too awful to stop you from reading though. Here's hoping I'll see you in chapter three!**


End file.
